12 Bicycle Sundays return in 2013 for Seattle bike lovers

It’s always sunny in Seattle on  Bicycle Sundays.

Or at least that’s how I remember my regular rides over to Lake Washington Boulevard to enjoy some scenic bicycling without the worry of motor vehicle traffic.

The Seattle Parks and Recreation Department, in conjunction with Cascade Bicycle Club, is continuing its tradition of closing a 2-1/2 mile section of Lake Washington Boulevard to motor vehicle traffic for 12 Sundays this year from May through September.

The dates in 2013 are:

• May 5, 12 and 19
• June 2, 16 and 30
• July 7 and 14
• August 25
• September 1, 15 and 22

The roadway will be closed to motor vehicle traffic between Seward Park and Mount Baker Beach Park from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Seattle’s version of the ciclovia has been happening since 1968, the first year the city closed the road to cars. This makes 45 years for the closures. The annual number of closures is reduced from a high of 19 in 2010.

Bicyclists can start at either park — a plan that is popular for the many families that show up to the event. Other cyclists choose these Sundays for a 25-mile loop ride around the southern part of Lake Washington (crossing the lake on the I-90 trail) or include Lake Washington Boulevard on other rides.

There are restrooms at both parks, and an ice cream vendor can usually be found at Seward Park. Cascade Bicycle Club also will set up a station to sell low-cost helmets and provide maps and other information.